Coffee Hour Archive

Facilitated by:

Ali Felix-Locher- Biology Department , Grand Valley State University

Rique Campa- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University

Facilitated by:

Trina McMahon, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Robert Webster III, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University

Patrice Jackson, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Recording Link

October 18th, 2011 (1pm CT / 2pm ET / 12 noon MT / 11am PT) - Kendra Cheruvelil, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State Univeristy; Sarah Titus, Department of Geology, Carleton College; Heather Miller, Department of Geology, Grand Valley State University

What does the first year as a faculty member hold for you? What can you do as a graduate student to prepare for it? What should you know before that first class, first committee meeting, or first new research initiative? What tips, tools, and strategies might make both your first years’ teaching and research more effective and rewarding? If your first year is not in a tenure track position, how can you make the most of it?

Come hear from a panel of faculty as they reflect on how to have a successful first year of first year as an academic faculty member.

Kendra Cheruvelil                     Sarah Titus                                         Heather Miller

September 20th, 2011 - Scott Winterstein, Michigan State University; Karen McNeal, Mississippi State University, and Patrice Jackson, University of Maryland Eastern Shore

1pm CT / 2pm ET / 12 noon MT / 11am PT

Have a faculty job interview in your near future?Join us and find out what to expect at a faculty job interview. 

Scott Winterstein                     Karen McNeal                             Patrice Jackson

Scott Winterstein is a professor and associate chair of Michigan State University's Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. 

Karen McNeal is an assistant professor in the Department of Geosciences at Mississippi State University. 

Patrice Jackson is an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Patrice's Slides

Scott's Slides

Miss out on the great discussion. Listen Here!

April 21, 2011 - Dr. Jennifer Gubbels, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Augustana College

Join us and find out what new faculty have discovered as they have transitioned from graduate student to assistant faculty.

How have they navigated teaching new classes, departmental politics, life-balance issues, tenure requirements, institutional expectations and student expectations? What do they wish they had known before? What gradute student preparation has served them well and what would they do differently if they had only known.

Come share your own experiences and hear from others.

Audio Recording

 March 17, 2011 - Kristin Plessel, UW Rock County and Karla Welch, University of Louisville

What is expected of you at the job interview process and how can you arrive fully prepared? How can you make the best impression? Hear interview experiences and reflections from two CIRTL graduates who recently secured assistant professor positions. What more do you want to know about the interview process and how to prepare? Bring your questions, share your experiences, and join us for a lively discussion. Dr. Kristin Plessel is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at UW Rock County Karla Welch is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Louisville Audio Recording

Dr Kristin Plessel

Dr. Karla Welch

February 17, 2011 - Dr. Matt Helm, MSU Career Services

1pm ET / 12pm CT / 11am MT / 10am PT

In developing your written credentials and preparing application materials for your job search, it is crucial to represent your professional experience, accomplishments, expertise, and qualities in the most impactful manner possible.  This online workshop is designed to help participants learn how to present their written credentials and application materials in the strongest possible manner and to provide insight from the perspective of hiring managers or search committees.  Learn what employers are looking for and how to write your way into an interview. 

PowerPoint Slides

Audio Recording

November 18, 2010 - Jonathan Wellons- Vanderbilt Univ PhD student, Dr. Kristin Getter- Michigan State University Post-Doc, Geoff Horst- Michigan State University PhD student 

Jonathan Wellons	Geoff Horst	Kristen Getter

Using your Teaching as Research Project to strengthen your professional life

Teaching as Research (TAR) projects involve the use of research methods to develop and implement teaching practices that advance the learning experiences of students and teachers. While the TAR projects are aimed at improving teaching in the classroom, the impact can be much broader, both personally and professionally.

Come hear about how the TAR work of three students influenced their thinking about careers and provided professional opportunities. Bring your own story and find out how your TAR project can further strengthen your professional life.

Audio Recording

Getter Paper

Horst Paper

Check back in the coming months for Wellon's paper

Dr. Adam Hoffman	Dr. Kathryn Devine	Sarah Bannen

What balance do you want between teaching and research? What are the differences teaching at a small liberal arts college, research university, or a 2 year community college? What is important to you regarding course load, student contact, research support, department size, or tenure requirements?

The diversity of post-secondary institutions may be far broader than you have considered. Hear a panel of new faculty from very different institutions talk about their teaching experiences and academic life.

Audio Recording

September 16, 2010 - Jeff Klukas and Tim Wagner University of Wisconsin-Madison Grad Students

Jeff Klukas	Tim Wagner

The CIRTL Network Exchange Program is an all-expenses paid trip for you, a CIRTL graduate student or Post Doc, to fly to another institution, give a talk on your disciplinary research and your Teaching as Research project, support you while you meet with possible contacts and collaborators, provide you with an opportunity to do a practice job talk and campus interview visit, and give you with feedback along the way.

Jeff Klukas and Tim Wagner, graduate students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison who participated in the CIRTL Network Exchange last spring, shared their impressions of the experience at this coffee hour event.

May 5, 2010 - Holly Kerby, Instructor MATC and Todd Stebbins, Associate Dean MATC

What kinds of positions are you looking for after you finish your degree?

Is a tenure track position at a large research institution the best fit for you?

Are you interested in hearing about some alternative career options?

Roughly half of all US undergraduates are studying at community colleges, according to The American Association of Community Colleges.

Todd Stebbins, Associate Dean at Madison Area Technical College, and Holly Kerby, Instructor of Chemistry and Creative Writing/Drama and Executive Director of the Fusion Science Theater, at Madison Area Technical College, discuss academic career opportunities at these 2-year institutions. Explore questions about the current hiring landscape, tenure, academic opportunities, and teaching expectations.

April 21, 2010 - Dr. Mark Connolly, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Is being a tenure-track professor the only pathway for a PhD wanting to teach and do research? What is important to you in you professional career and where are you looking?

Although tenure-track positions at research intensive universities are often portrayed as the ideal destination for doctoral students seeking an academic career, findings from a recent survey (see here) suggest that contemporary doctoral students see parts of these “fast track” positions as incompatible with a healthy work-life balance. Using the Mason et al. study as a starting point, this CIRTL Coffee Hour will discuss some of the tensions and trade-offs that doctoral students are facing. We will also examine how professional development programs like those in the CIRTL Network can give doctoral students knowledge and skills that make them more marketable for a range of academic careers.

Audio Recording

April 7, 2010 - Dr. Ann Austin, Michigan State University

The April 7 Coffee Hour will provide an informal opportunity to further discuss the topics raised in the CIRTLCast (www.cirtl.net/cirtlcasts) held the previous hour.

The CIRTLCast presentation and following Coffee Hour discussion examine what a new generation of faculty need to be able to do to succeed in academia today. What does faculty work look like and how is it changing? What competencies should graduate students and post-docs develop as they prepare for faculty roles?

Audio Recording

 March 17, 2011 - Kristin Plessel, UW Rock County and Karla Welch, University of Louisville

What is expected of you at the job interview process and how can you arrive fully prepared? How can you make the best impression? Hear interview experiences and reflections from two CIRTL graduates who recently secured assistant professor positions. What more do you want to know about the interview process and how to prepare? Bring your questions, share your experiences, and join us for a lively discussion. Dr. Kristin Plessel is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at UW Rock County Karla Welch is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Louisville

Dr Kristin Plessel

Dr. Karla Welch